All Purpose Cornbread

Cornbread is a food that has inspired a lot of debate. Do you like the southern, unsweetened, skillet-baked version with its crispy crust? Do you prefer the high rising, soft and sweet northern-style cornbread, which is almost a sort of cake? Maybe it’s because I’m out on the coast, but I like both types of cornbread. While the lovers and the haters fight it out back east, I am content to have my own hybrid version.

My cornbread has all the elements of cornbread that I like. It has an equal ratio of cornmeal and flour, giving it both softness and texture. It has buttermilk, honey and sugar, for flavor and sweetness. Baking it at a high temperature allows the edges to develop a slight crispness, which leaves those who like a sort of crust satisfied and leaves the center to remain soft. The cornbread, while it may not be the paragon of cornbreads, will appeal to just about anyone. The perfect cornbread is probably an impossible task, since the “ideals” are at opposite ends of the spectrum, anyway.

Use this to dunk in a spicy chili or slather with butter. It is also excellent for breakfast with honey or jam. It’s quick to make, too, so you can fix it during halftime and have it ready before the fourth quarter.

Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat buttermilk, egg, honey and vegetable oil until well blended. Stir in dry ingredients, mixing until no streaks remain.
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake at 400F for 23-28 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the bread pulls away from the side of the dish slightly.
Serves 12.

Love cornbread, especially leftover as croutons for soup! Have you by chance run across a cornbread recipe that has a pudding below (like the chocolate pudding cakes where the cake rises as the pudding settles)? I’ve got this idea in my head but can’t seem to get it to work! Alanna

I’m with you on the hybrid of the two schools of cornbread. In fact, your recipe is quite similar to mine (I use an additional egg, no honey). I sometimes use buttermilk powder with the dry ingredients, and plain (1%) milk for the liquid, just so I’m not dependent on having buttermilk in the house any time I want cornbread.

I love skillet cornbread.No sugar or flour in mine.My dad actually has their cornmeal ground,and it is really course.After I left home it took me quite awhile to get used to the fine store bought meal.Emily aka biscuits and blues

Hi Nic – I love cornbread! Even though I went to school in the south, I don’t think I’ve ever had any of the unsweetened variety. In fact, I didn’t realize that was typical of the south. Like you, I like equal amounts of corn meal and flour. Oddly the Quaker recipe has over the years gone in the direction of more flour – seems like if you’re selling corn meal that’s the wrong direction! My recipe (which is an older Quaker recipe) is very similar to yours, but no honey or buttermilk. Both of those sound like yummy additions that I’ll have to try.